global sac 3

Question 1

national interest

Answer 1

• Refers to the key goals and objectives of a state. The national interest outlines important policy preferences and directs foreign policy but can also be contested by different factions within a state.

Question 2

security

Answer 2

• Although traditionally referring to the immediate protection of state’s borders, security now encompasses notions of economic, environmental and collective security.

Question 3

idealism

Answer 3

• When policy preferences and decisions are based on moral or ethical values rather than practical ones

Question 4

pragmatism

Answer 4

• When policy preferences and decisions are based on practical considerations rather than moral or ethical ones

Question 5

hard power

Answer 5

• The direct use of force in order to influence other actors.

Question 6

soft power

Answer 6

• The indirect use of force or attraction in order to subtly influence other actors.

Question 7

military power

Answer 7

• The use of a state’s armed forces to influence other actors.

Question 8

economic power

Answer 8

• The use of a state’s finances, trade and investment to influence other actors.

Question 9

cultural power

Answer 9

The use of a state’s history, customs and traditions to influence other actors

Question 10

political power

Answer 10

The use of a state’s legal or legitimate authority to influence other actors

Question 11

diplomatic power

Answer 11

The use of communication and negotiation to influence other actors

Question 12

national security factors shaping #1

Answer 12

• Xi Jinping has declared a “people’s war” on terror among Muslim Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang. - - March 2015: three Chinese Separatists executed for their role in the Kunming Railway attack that killed 31 people in 2014.
• south-western province of Yunnan
• ‘China’s 9/11’ by state- run media outlets
• strengthened focus on territorial security in response to terrorism.

Question 13

national security factors shaping #2

Answer 13

• Regional claims to contested territory erodes China’s sovereignty.
• claims from Vietnam over the Spratly Islands erodes China’s sovereignty
  2016: Vietnam reportedly secretly moved rocket launchers to five bases in the Spratly Islands within range of China’s newly-built airstrips.
• strengthens their focus on regional relationships.

Question 14

national security different perspectives

Answer 14

• The CCP believes that the PRC has the sovereign right to develop artificial islands and has compared the island-building to ordinary construction, such as road-building, that is going on elsewhere in the country.
• External views from states such as Australia and the US view China’s artificial islands as a breach of the international laws of the sea.
• Argue that ‘sovereignty’ cannot be created over ‘artificial structures’, refuting China’s claim.
• Vietnam has also taken the PRC to the ICJ to contest their land-reclamation practices.
• This is supported by the claims of Daniel Russel (US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs), who said that “no matter how much sand you pile on a reef in the South China Sea, you can’t manufacture sovereignty.”

Question 15

national security extent of achievement success

Answer 15

• maintaining national security externally.
• Since 2013, China has constructed or reclaimed 2900 acres of land in waters that the US considers international waters.
• February 2016: China militarised the contested Woody Island by constructing missile defence systems.
• This further solidified China’s claims to contested territories; maintaining sovereignty over contested areas.

Question 16

national security extent of achievement failure

Answer 16

• maintaining national security internally.
• 21 March 2014: a stabbing attack attributed to Uighur terrorists at the Kunming Railway station left 31 civilians dead and dozens injured.
• In response, President Xi Jinping claimed that terrorism in China has “recently entered an active period”;
• 120 Tibetan self-immolations have occurred in the past 24 months to protest Chinese rule in Tibet.
• June 2009, in the southern city of Shogun in Guangdong province, a brawl between Uighur and Han Chinese workers at a toy factory left two Uighurs dead and dozens injured.
• This incident fueled ethnically charged riots that erupted a few days later in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in which approximately 200 people died.

Question 17

economic development factors shaping #1

Answer 17

• Ethnic diversity has shaped China’s economic development.
• Economic development in western China is largely driven by the need to minimise ethnic tension.
• The Henan Province received $96 billion in investment in 2012 as part of the “Go West” campaign.
• Economic development is employed in order to promote unity and stability in separatist regions.
• Ethnic diversity promotes the need for development in Western China.
• Promoting harmony and prosperity is likely to lower tensions in this part of China

Question 18

economic development factors shaping #2

Answer 18

• Regional relationships have shaped China’s economic development.
• China’s economic development is entirely dependent on its ability to trade with its regional partners;
• China is Australia’s largest trading partner.
• China also participates in APEC, East Asia Summit and G20 – regional dialogues designed to promote trade and economic development in the Asia-Pacific region. - Positive regional relationships facilitate economic growth in China by encouraging free trade and foreign direct investment (FDI).

Question 19

economic development different perspectives

Answer 19

traditional development

• China’s unchecked economic growth since the 1980s has resulted in the state becoming the 2nd largest economy in the world
• reduced poverty rates from 300 million Chinese citizens in the 1980s to 150 million today.
• China has been doubling living standards roughly every decade for the past 30 years
• experts estimate that China will overtake the USA as the largest economy in the world by 2020.
• However, China is currently emitting twice as much carbon dioxide as the next biggest polluter, America, and are currently at a code red smog alert, which is the highest level.
• In 2014, Prime Minister Li Keqiang stated that “a different kind of development is required.”
• 1/3 of children aged between 6 and 15 in rural areas suffer from anaemia.
• In 2014, Prime Minister Li stated that the state must “declare war” on pollution and warned about the risks of “blind development” in his state-of-the-nation speech.

Question 20

economic development extent of achievement success

Answer 20

• Between 2004 and 2009, China’s trade increased tenfold, and in November 2015, China had a trade surplus of US 54:10 billion up from a US 54:48 surplus reported in 2014.
• economy double in size since 2009, and their GDP grow to $13.4 trillion in 2015.
• currently the second largest economy in the world and are expected to overtake America as the largest by 2020.

Question 21

economic development extent of achievement failure

Answer 21

• 24 August 2015, China’s stock market endured its biggest one-day fall since 2007
• Chinese state media called “Black Monday.”
• China’s stock market lost more than 40% since its peak in June 2015.
  China’s economy slowed to 5% growth in 2015, down from around 14% in 2007. T
• could subvert the past 15 years of economic improvement.

Question 22

regional relationships/international standing factors shaping

Answer 22

regional relationships

• By increasing its status as a regional leader, China is able to dilute US influence and play a bigger role in the currently US-dominated economy.
• 2014, China signed a New Free Trade agreement with South Korea, and financed a $40 billion fund to improve trade links between Asian economies.
• At the APEC summit in 2014, China also promoted its own regional free-trade pact in spite of US pressure to make progress on other initiatives.
• According to the Dailymail, “it marks the first time Beijing has taken the lead in promoting a multinational trade agreement.”
• reflect Beijing’s insistence on a bigger role in what it sees as US-dominated economic and security structures to reflect China’s status as the world’s second biggest economy.

Question 23

regional relationships/international standing different perspectives

Answer 23

China’s intentions are peaceful and aim to promote a positive international standing

• January 2015, the Politburo pledged that China will “proactively participate in regional and global governance,” a tendency that was on display in 2014 as China set the agendas for the APEC Summit, CICA and even the BRICS Summit.
• On 7 November 2015, Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou met with Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping in Singapore. It was the first meeting between the two countries’ leaders since the Communists’ victory in the civil war in 1949.

China’s intentions are hostile and aim to promote China has a regional hegemon.

• Many Taiwanese have grown increasingly unhappy over a flurry of agreements with China, 23 in all, promoting greater economic integration across the strait.
• 2014: hundreds of thousands took to the streets of the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, in anti-trade protests led by students who also occupied the legislature.

Question 24

regional relationships/international standing extent of achievement success

Answer 24

• The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 178 countries on a variety of environmental performance measures.
• Overall, China ranked 118th, above India (155th), the world’s largest democracy.
• China maintains the largest standing army in the world with 2,285,000 potential soldiers.
• China holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (Veto power).
• China is a Nuclear Power: A 2011 Georgetown study suggests that the PRC have upwards of 3,000 nuclear warheads.

Question 25

regional relationships/international standing extent of achievement failure

Answer 25

However, many of China’s controversial deals and acts have caused the state to have a negative international standing.

• President Xi Jinping begins his anti-corruption campaign in 2012 – since then over 10,000 officials have been charged with offences.
• On 27 February 2014, Chinese media outlets released a scathing critique of US foreign policy, calling former American ambassador to China a ‘banana’ who used his ‘yellow skin and white heart’ to advance American ambitions.
• On 18 March 2014, students occupied parliament in Taiwan in protest over Taiwan/Chinese free trade deals. The students argued that the deal is “putting a straightjacket” on Taiwan and “increases China’s territorial hold.”

Question 26

economic power

Answer 26

direct 3 links policy

• Bilateral trade between Taiwan and mainland China stood at $77 billion between January and August 2008, accounting for 21.5% of Taiwan’s total foreign trade. -Taiwan’s exports to China account for 30% of total exports – imports are roughly 12.7%.
• This trade deficit means that Taiwan is becoming increasingly dependent on Chinese trade.
• In 2008, four agreements on bilateral air transportation, maritime transportation, postal services and food safety were signed at the Chiang-Chen historic meeting in Taipei.
• This allowed for 60 direct cargo flights per month, which cut fuel expenses by 40-50%, as well as a monthly average of over 10,000 express mail items delivered between the mainland and Taiwan.
• However, many have criticised the impact of this on China’s international standing.
• For instance, on March 18th 2014, students occupied parliament in Taiwan in protest over Taiwan/Chinese free trade deals.
• The students argue that the deal is “putting a straightjacket” on Taiwan and “increases China’s territorial hold”.

Question 27

military power

Answer 27

strategic placement of arms

• 2013, China placed a new anti-ship Dong Feng ‘carrier killer’ missiles along the coast facing Taiwan.
• The move has added additional fire-power to more than 1200 short-range ballistic missiles already facing Taiwan
• US Senate Armed Services Committee said that “China is developing a tiered ballistic missile defence system and has successfully tested the upper-tier capabilities on two occasions.”
• huge economic expense and directly undermine China’s economic development;
• China spent as much as $215 billion on strategic defence in 2012.
• Additionally, China’s international standing has also taken a hit with the US accusing China of being ‘overly militaristic’ and misleading the world about its defence programs.
• weak international standing, consequently intimidating its neighbours and alienating allies such as the US.

Question 28

diplomatic power

Answer 28

• 2008, China and East Timor signed a $1.57 billion cooperation agreement
• China agreed to build new headquarters for the national armed forces and housing for soldiers.
• China also agreed to build East Timor’s foreign ministry at a cost of $5 million.
• Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said that “Another form of support is that China is opening up, allowing us to send our exports exempt of tax.”
• In 2013, East Timor turned down a lucrative military contract with Australia to provide patrol boats to protect its regional borders, instead turning to China.
• However, China’s intentions in East Timor have been often criticised as they have always had a self-interested hue to them.
• For instance, China provided two 40-year-old Shanghai Class patrol boats, which were subsequently found to be unseaworthy in East Timor’s rougher open waters
• Additionally, lecturer at Deakin University Damien Kingsbury says that “East Timor may come to find that, in the real politik of international relations, states do not have abiding friends; they only have abiding interests.”

Question 29

aid

Answer 29

• China’s annual aid to the Pacific region is estimated to be between $100 and $150 million.
• Funds are provided in exchange for access to resources and support of China’s territorial claims.
• $520 million in preferential loans have been given; buying Vanuatu a new passenger plane and two cargo ships, and Papua New Guinea a new sports stadium.
• Additionally, China’s contribution to UN missions and humanitarian bodies has further enhanced these positive relationships.
• May 2014, China had 2188 servicemen and volunteers working in many of the 16 ongoing peacekeeping missions, and contributed to states such as Bangladesh.
• However, China has been criticised for their lack of involvement with the UN’s peacekeeping missions.
• many have criticised China’s level of participation in states such as Bangladesh, which currently has 8810 police and troops participating in peacekeeping operations.
• Ethiopia has 6,618 troops in operation, which is more than 3 times the amount of China.
• Additionally, China was the 6th largest contributor to the UN budget in 2013, behind the USA, Japan, Germany, France and the UK, despite being the world’s second-largest economy.

Question 30

cultural power

Answer 30

• China currently has over 480 Confucius Institutes and 640 classrooms serving 850,000 registered students.
• Li Changchun, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, stated that Confucius Institutes were “an important part of China’s overseas propaganda set-up”.
• expand China’s economic, cultural and diplomatic reach through the promotion of Chinese language and culture.
• The soft power goals also include assuaging concerns of a ‘Chinese threat’ in the context of the country’s increasingly powerful penis economy and military.
• However, the Confucius Institutes have been criticised for demanding that university faculties include Taiwan as part of mainland China.
• In 2009, 100 professors at the University of Chicago petition the University ‘not to renew its 2009 contract’ with its own Confucius Institute.
• Organised efforts against the Confucius Institutes have also been carried out at the University of Manitoba in Canada and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
• All the universities claim that ‘a lack of academic freedom’ was the basis of their concerns.
• Additionally, American Association of University Professors made the comment that the CI ‘function as an arm of the Chinese state and are allowed to ignore academic freedom.’

Question 31

political power

Answer 31

• The National People’s Congress (NPC) is the national legislature of the PRC and contains 2,987 members (2013).
• It is the largest parliamentary body in the world and legitimised all CCP decisions at a national level.
• It has the power to legislate, the power to oversee the operations of government and the power to elect the major officers of state.
• Despite such power, it is known as a ‘rubber stamp’ parliament, designed to give the undisputed Communist Party legitimacy in a one-party system.
• In March 14 2005, the NPC ratified the ‘Anti-Secession Law’, emphasising the political power of the NPC as it formalised the long-standing policy of the PRC to use “non-peaceful means” against the “Taiwan independence movement” in the event of adeclaration of independence.
• One member told the BBC in 2009 that ‘As a parliamentary representative, I don’t have any real power’. - The vote count of 2,896 for and 0 for Anti-Secession laws against highlighted the CCPs manipulation of the NPC to ensure unanimous support for the laws.
• The reaction in Taiwan was extremely negative – on March 26 2005 over one million Taiwanese participated in a protest.
• US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented the law as ‘not necessary’ and ‘unfortunate’.
• She also stated that it ‘does not serve the purpose of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait’. Therefore, their political power has been met with much controversy.